Guardiola told reporters that Phillips was not in good condition to participate in the training sessions after his return from Qatar and participated in only 40 minutes in two matches as a substitute in England’s campaign in the tournament.
Phillips suffered a difficult period at City after joining from Leeds United in 2022, as he started only 6 matches in 18 months, and the player (28 years old) joined West Ham United on loan last month.
After his move to West Ham, the midfielder said his self-confidence took a “huge hit” due to Guardiola’s comments.
Guardiola said on Monday: “Yes, I am sorry. I apologize to him. I spoke to him before (the comments). I never spoke to the team before I said something here (to reporters), or to the player in this case.”
City, third in the English Premier League, can reduce the gap with leaders Liverpool to one point if it wins over its guest Brentford later on Tuesday.
2024-02-20 07:09:38
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